Ever Killed an Animal that was not an Insect?

Radrook said:
Yet there is animal death in eating that red meat regardless of the amount. I mean, I could have similarly said I don't run over dogs very often. Right? Please note that I am not criticizing you. I am just wondering how one reconciles a strong aversion to taking animal life during those moments when one is sinking one's teef into a tasty hot dog or hamburger which is composed of dead animal meat. Also, by buying the dead animal meat, we are supporting the slaughtering of animals for food that is constantly going on.
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I do understand your thinking. I suppose humans could survive solely on the vegetables and fruits that we grow ourselves and in many ways this would make us all a much healthier world. The only problem with this situation is our world would be overly populated with animals so much to the point that there would most likely be way more animals then people in the world. The animals would be so many that it would squeeze the humans out eventually. There unfortunately has to be some sort of control.
 

Aging Audra said:
I do understand your thinking. I suppose humans could survive solely on the vegetables and fruits that we grow ourselves and in many ways this would make us all a much healthier world. The only problem with this situation is our world would be overly populated with animals so much to the point that there would most likely be way more animals then people in the world. The animals would be so many that it would squeeze the humans out eventually. There unfortunately has to be some sort of control.
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Well. that's one way that one might rationalize our eating animals.

Please note that I have nothing against using animals a food. Why? Well, because it doesn't violate my religious beliefs. So my question was merely an effort to understand how killing and consuming animals as food, can be reconciled with viewing animal life to be as precious as our own human life.

For example, would you approve of human on human cannibalism in order to keep human population under control? If indeed animal life and human life are equivalent in value, as you say, then your answer should be yes. Yet, I am very sure that you would never approve of human cannibalism simply for the sake of human population control. Right? However, you approve of eating the animals in order to control their population. See the discrepancy?

Obviously, there is clearly a different value being assigned to animal life than to human life. It reminds me of the Sci Fi Twilight Zone episode To Serve Man, where extraterrestrials sought to use humans as a food-source to the horror of mankind. Had the aliens demanded cattle to eat, then there would have been no problem
 
Yes, there as you stated in your last paragraph clearly a difference in animal life and human life. I think we have to think on what animal life provides to society and what human life provides to society. Sure animal life provides things to society that are purposeful, but compared to what human life provides it really does not compare. Other than the food aspect that the animals provide, human life provides so much more to the world. Even though we can also say humans are also what is going to eventually destroy the world, but honestly humans do provide more for the world than animal life does.

I also do not approve of human cannibalism. Even if I was trapped in a collapsed cave and there was no exit and it was me and two other people, I would not resort to cannibalism to survive. I suppose I would be the one who would get eaten. :)
 

Radrook said:
Well. that's one way that one might rationalize our eating animals.

Please note that I have nothing against using animals a food. Why? Well, because it doesn't violate my religious beliefs. So my question was merely an effort to understand how killing and consuming animals as food, can be reconciled with viewing animal life to be as precious as our own human life.

For example, would you approve of human on human cannibalism in order to keep human population under control? If indeed animal life and human life are equivalent in value, as you say, then your answer should be yes. Yet, I am very sure that you would never approve of human cannibalism simply for the sake of human population control. Right? However, you approve of eating the animals in order to control their population. See the discrepancy?

Obviously, there is clearly a different value being assigned to animal life than to human life. It reminds me of the Sci Fi Twilight Zone episode To Serve Man, where extraterrestrials sought to use humans as a food-source to the horror of mankind. Had the aliens demanded cattle to eat, then there would have been no problem
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Lots of things to unpack here, but please let me just state that our "western culture(s)" drives much of our behavior, including the slaughtering and killing of animals. Some Christians, most practicing Jews, and Muslims, all have religious and cultural practices which are observed.

Human cannibalism is still practiced today in up to 9 locations around the world, including in Papua New Guinea and other places "off the beaten path". My point is, the culture to which we "assign" ourselves drives most of these food-oriented decisions.
 
Eupher said:
Lots of things to unpack here, but please let me just state that our "western culture(s)" drives much of our behavior, including the slaughtering and killing of animals. Some Christians, most practicing Jews, and Muslims, all have religious and cultural practices which are observed.

Human cannibalism is still practiced today in up to 9 locations around the world, including in Papua New Guinea and other places "off the beaten path". My point is, the culture to which we "assign" ourselves drives most of these food-oriented decisions.
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Correct, the culture certainly does play a huge role in how we view all of this. If I lived in Central Africa my view of killing animals for food would be totally different than what it is while living here in the United States even though I still eat meat(rarely eat red meat). I myself don't go out and kill animals for food and I am not saying that doesn't make it any different, it just gives me a different mindset on it.
 
Aging Audra said:
Correct, the culture certainly does play a huge role in how we view all of this. If I lived in Central Africa my view of killing animals for food would be totally different than what it is while living here in the United States even though I still eat meat(rarely eat red meat). I myself don't go out and kill animals for food and I am not saying that doesn't make it any different, it just gives me a different mindset on it.
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Fortunately neither have I. I purchase the meat after the job has been done and it gives me a different perspective as well.

BTW

I once met this fellow who who looked like a nervous wreck, head lowered as he sat in our office speaking softly and and in begging tone of voice. Said that he worked at a chicken slaughter house, and had come to our Human Relations office for help because he could no longer tolerate working there.

He described the chickens as being hung by their feet from hooks attached to a conveyer belt, an that his solitary responsibility was to decapitate them with a small hand-held scythe as they slowly passed by. Said that they screamed a squawked, and furiously struggled to get free while pecking at his gloved hands and at his face.

Said he could no longer tolerate the bedlam of their hysterically, terrified screaming. Complained of suffering from nightmares in which he heard the chickens squawking at night and of his waking up in a cold sweat. Also claimed that he could no longer stomach eating chicken meat. Begged us to please convince his employer at the local chicken slaughter house to transfer him to another job. I never bought that brand of chicken again.
 
No. I am carnivorous, I eat Beef, Chicken, and my favorite, Pork. Would I kill a cow, a chicken, or a pig? No. It's an hypocrisy I've become very comfortable with.
 
Radrook said:
Fortunately neither have I. I purchase the meat after the job has been done and it gives me a different perspective as well.

BTW

I once met this fellow who who looked like a nervous wreck, head lowered as he sat in our office speaking softly and and in begging tone of voice. Said that he worked at a chicken slaughter house, and had come to our Human Relations office for help because he could no longer tolerate working there.

He described the chickens as being hung by their feet from hooks attached to a conveyer belt, an that his solitary responsibility was to decapitate them with a small hand-held scythe as they slowly passed by. Said that they screamed a squawked, and furiously struggled to get free while pecking at his gloved hands and at his face.

Said he could no longer tolerate the bedlam of their hysterically, terrified screaming. Complained of suffering from nightmares in which he heard the chickens squawking at night and of his waking up in a cold sweat. Also claimed that he could no longer stomach eating chicken meat. Begged us to please convince his employer at the local chicken slaughter house to transfer him to another job. I never bought that brand of chicken again.
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There are definitely companies that unfortunately use these sort of methods. I don't know if there is really a humane method of killing any animal, but that definitely is not it.

That company should be shut down in my opinion.
 
VaughanJB said:
No. I am carnivorous, I eat Beef, Chicken, and my favorite, Pork. Would I kill a cow, a chicken, or a pig? No. It's an hypocrisy I've become very comfortable with.
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I don't know about being comfortable with it, but you have to survive and if you like meat and that is something you like to eat and is in your diet than it is certainly the better option than you starving to death than a cow, chicken or pig dying to feed people. That may sound awful, but I believe the majority of people around the world would agree with that stance. If they didn't steaks, ground beef, pork, and chicken would be in much shorter supply throughout the world.
 
I also want to add, if someone elects to be a vegetarian or a vegan and that is their desired diet that is perfectly fine as well, but that doesn't change the many meat eaters stances as they enjoy that in their diets.
 
Aging Audra said:
There are definitely companies that unfortunately use these sort of methods. I don't know if there is really a humane method of killing any animal, but that definitely is not it.

That company should be shut down in my opinion.
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I agree. Very inhumane. I was approx. 32 at the time. Hopefully they have adopted another method. Can't remember the brand of chicken. I know that I saw it at the local supermarket. I described it to the Local Amish and thy say that they don't slaughter their chickens in that way.
 
Aging Audra said:
I don't know about being comfortable with it, but you have to survive and if you like meat and that is something you like to eat and is in your diet than it is certainly the better option than you starving to death than a cow, chicken or pig dying to feed people. That may sound awful, but I believe the majority of people around the world would agree with that stance. If they didn't steaks, ground beef, pork, and chicken would be in much shorter supply throughout the world.
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I have to ponder - why do I eat meat? The answer is - I was brought up in an environment where meat eating was normal, and acceptable. I can't justify it, and I wouldn't starve if I didn't eat meat. I will say, I eat less meat today, but that would be little comfort to the a chicken.
 
Aging Audra said:
I also want to add, if someone elects to be a vegetarian or a vegan and that is their desired diet that is perfectly fine as well, but that doesn't change the many meat eaters stances as they enjoy that in their diets.
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Some people enjoy expensive steaks, or choice cuts of meat. Me? Nothing beats a pork chop with a good inch of fat. Old school. Everything is far too lean these days. Pork chops are simply the best. That and salmon. :D
 
Aging Audra said:
I also want to add, if someone elects to be a vegetarian or a vegan and that is their desired diet that is perfectly fine as well, but that doesn't change the many meat eaters stances as they enjoy that in their diets.
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Genesis 9:3 ►
Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.
 
The closest I ever got to the slaughtering process occurred when I lived in Missouri. At that time we used a slaughterhouse that was deep in the woods north of Columbia. Really off the beaten trail. We'd ordered a half hog and I went in to pick it up, already packaged and frozen. When I walked in the door - a very rustic environment - just to my right was a huge hog that he had just dispatched via a .22 long rifle round to the head. Just lying there on the concrete floor. Kind of unsettling, because I wasn't expecting it.

Outside in a pen were 3-4 other hogs. The owner/operator of the slaughterhouse told me, quite matter-of-factly, that they'd eaten their last meal earlier that morning and that they were "next".
 
Eupher said:
The closest I ever got to the slaughtering process occurred when I lived in Missouri. At that time we used a slaughterhouse that was deep in the woods north of Columbia. Really off the beaten trail. We'd ordered a half hog and I went in to pick it up, already packaged and frozen. When I walked in the door - a very rustic environment - just to my right was a huge hog that he had just dispatched via a .22 long rifle round to the head. Just lying there on the concrete floor. Kind of unsettling, because I wasn't expecting it.

Outside in a pen were 3-4 other hogs. The owner/operator of the slaughterhouse told me, quite matter-of-factly, that they'd eaten their last meal earlier that morning and that they were "next".
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That sort of job is certainly not for me, but someone apparently has to do it. Just like others have to raise these animals knowing what eventually will be their fate.
 
Aging Audra said:
That sort of job is certainly not for me, but someone apparently has to do it. Just like others have to raise these animals knowing what eventually will be their fate.
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In the Italian Newark NJ Neighborhood where I grew up, there was this store with wood chipped covered floors and walls lined with cages holding chickens. The customer would choose the chicken he wanted slaughtered, they would take t away , kill and plucked, it, wrap it up. We used to joke about how the chickens knew my father's profile as soon as he showed up and would panic.
 
Radrook said:
In the Italian Newark NJ Neighborhood where I grew up, there was this store with wood chipped covered floors and walls lined with cages holding chickens. The customer would choose the chicken he wanted slaughtered, they would take t away , kill and plucked, it, wrap it up. We used to joke about how the chickens knew my father's profile as soon as he showed up and would panic.
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Aging Audra said:
Yes, there as you stated in your last paragraph clearly a difference in animal life and human life. I think we have to think on what animal life provides to society and what human life provides to society. Sure animal life provides things to society that are purposeful, but compared to what human life provides it really does not compare. Other than the food aspect that the animals provide, human life provides so much more to the world. Even though we can also say humans are also what is going to eventually destroy the world, but honestly humans do provide more for the world than animal life does.

I also do not approve of human cannibalism. Even if I was trapped in a collapsed cave and there was no exit and it was me and two other people, I would not resort to cannibalism to survive. I suppose I would be the one who would get eaten. :)
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Eating another human must be very difficult.

BTW

Ever heard about the sports team that crashed in the Andes Mountains and many resorted to cannibalism to survive?

 

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